Water heater



March v19, 1946.

F. x. vATZBERGER AWATER HEATER lFiled March 24, 1942 n] f INVENTOR ll-.l we We i ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES TENT CE 2,396,810; WATER HEATER Frank X. Atzberger, Ridgefield Park," N `.`J l Application March V2i, 1942, Seria-lf yNo.1352930 2 claims. (o1. 122-356) "The invention relates to walter heaters and more particularly to heaters fox-'supplying hot water for household and similar purposes.

fThe'invention vhas for its object to provide a Water'heater of simpleconstruction and operating ina novel manner 'to `provide supplies of hot water in a minimum timel period and with maximum efficiency.

Other objects will appear from the description hereinafter and-the features of lnovelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In Ythe accompanying drawing, which illustrates an example of the invention without dening its limits,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the novel heater and' its associated control means; and y YKFig.'2 is -a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In the illustrated example, the water heater comprises 4a shell or -housingl 0 preferably kmade of copperor other suitable metal which is a rapid conductor of heat. The shell or housing Ill may be `of any convenient dimensions and shape and preferably is of rectangular form, for instance, as shown in the drawing. "To .prevent undesirable heat losses by vradiation,t`he outside of the shell I preferably is covered with a suitable heat insulating material which may be fastened in place in any well-known way, it being understood that other methods of insulating the shell Ill `against heat losses may be utilized if desired.

'I'he shell or housing I0 is provided interiorly with horizontal bale members or partitions I2 and |23 located in superimposed spaced parallel surface relation and projecting inwardly alternately in opposite directions from opposite walls of the shell lll as illustrated in Fig. 1. The bafiie members I2 and |2a are suitably secured to opposite walls of the shell I0 and terminate at intermediate points thereof in overlapping relation as shown in Fig. 1. The inner edges of the baille members I2 and I2a preferably are coiled upon themselves in the form of tubular beads I3 for the accommodation of bolts I4 which eX- tend through opposite walls of said shell I0 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The bolts I4 not onlyuadd to the rigidity of the shell Ill by bolting opposite walls thereof together, but in addition they serve to rigidly support the inner free edges of the balile members I2 and I2a to prevent sagging thereof.

The heater further includes a coil I 5 cf @Table metal, such as copper, arranged in adjacent vertical sections located in spaced relation to each other as show-n inFigpZ with eachsection comprising a length-oftubi-ng' -bent back and forth in the zigzag manner indicated ri-n Fig. Landv extending transversely across the'shell I0 from one wall to the opposite wall thereof. Each section of zigzag tubing is V`connected at one end to a conventionalinletheader'-'|\6 at the top ofthe casing '|0 and Yat'the other end to a conventional outlet header lllocate'd atthebottom of said casing I0 and `-flow of iiuid through vallthe sections of the coil is controlled yien-"any'convenient manner as -byv means of a suitable hand operated valve. The tubing liii-'each ofthe sections of the coil is arranged in surface engagement with the lower faces of the baiiie members I2 and I2a and is fastened thereto'in any convenient'manner as by soldering or otherwise. With this arrangement the several'sections -comprising the Vcoil I5 are suspended from the baffle members-I2 and l2a as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Between' each pair of balile members |2 and I2a the lengths of tubing included in the coil are in Asurface engagement with andattached rto baille plates I8, the latter being-arranged in staggered relation in opposite alternate directions with respect to each -other to provide the'zigzag arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1. The balile plates I8 extend transversely across the heater, as shown in Fig. 2, and because of their staggered arrangement in opposite vdirections provide open spaces between their opposite free edges and the walls of the casing IU which converge upwardly at one edge of said baffle plates I8 and diverge upwardly at the opposite edges thereof as indicated at a and b in Fig, 1. The uppermost upwardly diverging spaceb communicates with an outlet or stack I9 for the escape of combustion gases and the like.

In practice, the products of combustion or hot I5 and into the lowermost space b. From the latter the hot gases or products of combustion will pass upwardly into the intermediate space a and into contact with the intermediate group of first group of baiile platesv bailie plates I8 and the second baile member |21- and will be deected thereby toward the left in Fig. 1 alongand in contact with the contiguous portions of the coil I5 as will be apparent. The hot gases'or products of combus- ,tion thus deected will pass from the intermediate space b upwardly into the uppermost space a into contact with the uppermost group of baille plates I8 and with the upper balile member I2. This will cause the hot gases or products of combustion tombe deected by said last-mentioned baille plates I8 and the upper baille member I2 to the right in Fig. 1 along the portions of the coil I5 located at the top of the heater and out through the outlet or stack I9.`

With this arrangement it will be noted that the hot gases or products of combustion are directed upwardly in a sinuous path and are caused to directly contact with all portions and sections of the heating coil I5 so that the water contained in said coil I5 will be quickly and adequately heated to the desired extent.

The novel water heater is practically instantaneous in action due to theact that all parts of the heating coil I5 are directly engaged by the hot gases or products of combustion developed by the burner 3l, and because said hot gases or products of combustion'are guided over a sinuous path in said heater to remain in contact with all portions oi the heating coil I5 for an extended period.

The novel heater is simple in construction and once it has been set up in operative arrangement requires no particular skill in its operation or supervision.

Various changes in the speciiic forms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. `A water heater of the kind described comprising an upright metallic shell having an outlet for products 'of combustion at its upper end, metallic baiile members located in superimposed spaced relation and projecting inwardly from opposite walls of said shell in alternate sequence and terminating at intermediate parts thereof in overlapping position, groups of spaced metallic baliie plates located between said baille member and arranged in staggered relation in opposite directions in alternative groups, a continuous water coil of tubing comprising zigzag sections arranged in spaced upright relation in connection with each other, said water coil having a water inlet at its upper end and a water outlet at its lower end, predetermined tubular portions of said coil being' secured in surface engagement with said baille members whereby said coil is suspended therefrom, and other predetermined tubular portions of said coil being secured in surface engagement with said baille plates, a fuel burner located beneath said coil for developing hot gases which are diverted over a sinuous upward path by said baille members and bale plates to said outlet whereby all parts of said water coil are directly engaged by said hot gases to quickly heat the water contained in said coil, and means for controlling the fuel and Water supplies to said heater;

2. A water heater of the kind described cornprising an upright metallic shell having an outlet at its upper end, metallic baille members located in superimposed spaced relation and pro- Lare directly engaged by said hot gases to jecting inwardly from opposite walls of said shell in alternate sequence, said bailie members overlapping each other and terminating at intermediy ate points of said shell, a continuous water coil of tubing having predetermined portions thereof in surface connection with said baille members whereby said coil is suspended in said shell, said coil having a water inlet at its upper end and a water outlet at its lower end, groups of spaced metallic bailie plates secured to other predetermined portions of said coil in staggered relation in opposite directions between said baiile members, and a fuel burner located beneath said coil for developing hot gases which are diverted over a sinuous path by said baie members and baille plates to said outlet whereby all parts of said coil quickly heat the water in said coil.

FRANK X. ATZBERGER. 

